Latch



(N0 Model.)

J. LLDUITMANQ LATCH.

Patented Mar. 22, 1898.

P 1 1 I l I I ll 1 I I I proved construction, arrangement, and com-UNITED STATES JOHN L. DUITMAN,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF ALTO, WISCONSIN.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,952, dated March22, 1898.

Application filed June 19, 1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. DUITMAN, residing at Alto, in the county ofFond du Lac and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and usefulBarn-Door Latch, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to looks and latches and is in the nature of aspecially-designed latch for use on barn-doors.

The object of my invention is to furnish a barn-door'latch made of asingle piece, which may be readily operated from the inside of the doorto secure the door. It is easily put on, it contains no abrupt or roughprojections to injure the horse or catch the harness, and is simple,strong, and cheap.

With these objects in view my invention consists in a barn-door latchmade of a single piece of metal, embracing the edge of the door, andhung by a single bolt without keepers or guards, said latch beingarranged to engage with the keeper on the door-jamb and provided withinward and outward extending loops or hand-bars made of the same pieceof metal, whereby it may be operated with equal facility from. theinside as the outside, one of said loops acting in conjunction with theproper catch secured to the wall'in position to engage therewith andhold the door in its open position.

My invention further consists in the imbination of parts hereinafterfully described, and afterwardspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In order that persons skilled in the art to which my invention mostnearly appertains may make and use the same, I will now proceed todescribe its construction and operation in connection with theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of so much of a barn-door and its jamb,looking from the inside,as is necessary to illustrate my invention, myimproved latch and catch being attached thereto in position forpractical operation. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the same.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my improved latch detached from thedoor. Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the outer edge of the door having myimproved latch secured thereto, the

Serial No. 641,486. (No model.)

an ordinary barn-door, to which my improved latch is pivotally securedat its rear end by a bolt B. My latch consists of two main bow portions0 and D, the portion 0 being located on the outside and the portion D onthe inside of the door, each being provided with a flange, as E and F,to lie against the surface of the door perforated to receive the pivotalbolt B. These two bows O and D are connected together at their forwardends, said connection consisting of a flange G to lie across the outsideof the door, a transverse bar H to lie in a recess 011 the front edge ofthe door, said recess acting as a keeper to limit the vertical movementof the latch, a bend I at right angles tothe cross-bar H to lie againstthe inside of the door, an angle at the junction of the parts H andlabutting against the shoulder J of the door-jamb K, and a transverseconnecting portion L, extending to the outside of the bow E and bracedby an inner flange M. The end of the bow D, which joins the portions L,is provided at its top and bottom with beveled projections N, which whenthe door is closed engage and ride over the upper edge P of thecatch-piece O, secured to the door-jamb, and dropping behind it securethe door in its closed position.-

A catch Q is secured to the wall of the barn in position to be behindthe door when opened. The bow G rides over the inclined top of saidcatch When the door is thrown open and dropping behind the catch securesthe door in its opened position.

The whole latch is to be preferably molded in a single piece ofcast-iron; but,if preferred, it may be forged out of a single piece ofwrought-iron, making it cheap, strong, and durable, with no joints torequire additional labor in connecting them or to shake loose or breakapart from ordinary usage.

The only preparation necessary to set the latch is to make a smallrecess in the front of the door and bore a hole to receive the pivotalbolt. The point where the greatest strain comes upon the latch is at itsinner corners N, and this point is thoroughly strengthened by theaddition of a brace M.

There are no angular projections exposed when the door is closed tocatch the harness or injure the horse. The door closes solidly, the bendI striking against the shoulder J of the jamb. The door will catch whenthrown open and will be held until released.

\Vhile I have illustrated and described the best form now known to mefor carrying out my invention, I desire it to be understood that I donot restrict myself to the exact details of such form, but hold that anysuch slight variations or changes of form as might suggest themselves tothe ordinary mechanic would properly fall within the scope and limit ofmy invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A barn-door latch made of a single piece of metal comprising two bowsadapted to straddle the outer edge of the door, a bolt passing throughrear end flanges and the door to pivotally connect the latch with thedoor, and a front connecting portion shaped to engage a suitable keeperon the door-jamb, the two bows being suitably formed to act as handlesand the outer bow constructed to act as a latch to engage a catch on thewall of the barn to hold the door open, all substantially as described.

2. The herein-described barn-door latch consisting of the outer andinner bows C and D having rear flanges E and F perforated to receive thepivotal bolt, said bows being connected at their forward ends, suchconnection consisting of a flange G to rest on the outside of the door,a cross-piece II to enter a keeper-recess in the outer edge of the door,a right-angle portion I to engage a shoulder on the jamb, theconnecting-piece L joined to one end of the bow where the bow isprovided with inclined catch-piece N, and a suitable brace M, the wholelatch being constructed of a single piece of metal and adapted tostraddle or embrace the front edge of the door, the bows being onopposite sides of the door and the inner one serving as inner handholdand the outer one as a handhold and as a latch to engage a catch on theouter wall of the barn to hold the door in its open position,substantially as described.

JOHN L. DUITMAN.

Vitnesses:

E. D. DONEY, W. L. CARPENTER.

